stevias

Noun

stevia (plural stevias)

1. Any of the sweet herbs of genus Stevia, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America and western North America.
   • A naturally sweet herb called stevia is gaining in popularity as a sugar substitute, especially in beverages. Food additives must provide evidence of their safety and effectiveness before receiving FDA approval, and stevia lacks this approval for use as a sweetener because so little is known about...2006, Frances Sizer, Ellie Whitney, Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 10th edition, page 49

   Synonyms:

   sweetleaf, candy leaf, sugar leaf, sweet honey leaf, sweet herb of Paraguay

2. A sweetener, many times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar, extracted from Stevia rebaudiana, that can be substituted for sugar for some purposes.
   • Stevia is a natural, non-fattening sweetener that is 30 to 100 times sweeter than sugar and without any of the aftertaste that is common in many sugar substitutes.2003, M. Sara Rosenthal, The Natural Woman's Guide to Living with the Complications of Diabetes, page 42